High School Scout: Calvert Hall (Md.) 12, Hill Academy (Ont.) 6

The top-ranked high school team in the nation put on a fine display Friday afternoon on its home turf as MIAA powerhouse Calvert Hall upended The Hill Academy of Ontario 12-6. The Cardinals led by as many as nine goals in showing why they enter the season as the No. 1 high school program in the land. It was the seventh game or scrimmage in less than a week for the Hill, which each year travels to Maryland to face many of the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead on the Hill, with junior attackman Jordan Germershausen scoring about a minute into the game on a pass from Johnny Kelly (’13, Ohio State). The Kelly clan was just getting started: at 8:52 in the first, Patrick Kelly (’12, North Carolina) swept from the left wing, getting topside on his defender and ripping a sidearm blast into the top right corner.

On the following face-off middie Stephen “Bones” Kelly (’13, North Carolina), Inside Lacrosse’s No. 2 Young Guy Junior recruit, won the draw cleanly to himself, sprinted through the Hill’s defense and buried an overhand shot on the run, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 and some obvious momentum.

Hill Academy face-off midfielder Zach Miller (’13, Denver) quickly responded on the next draw, coming up with it swiftly to spark a fast break and connecting with Dallas Bridle (’13, Denver), who connected with Zach Herreweyers (’12, Loyola) for the finish.

But as if by prescription, Bones Kelly popped the next face-off to himself, again zipped into the box, worked his way down the left alley and buried another shot on the run. The goal was the Cardinals’ third in a matter of 23 seconds and gave them a 4-1 lead.

After Hill middie Kyle Jackson (’12, Michigan) power cradled inside and buried a jump shot to make it 4-2, Calvert Hall would get another as Ryan Brown (’12, Hopkins) sprinted up toward the left wing, stopped, came back to his right and yanked an overhand shot inside the far post. The Cardinals had built up a 5-2 lead at that point, and never really looked back.

The second quarter would see the Calvert Hall defense locked down on the Hill offense, pressing out hard on them, making the team work for anything it could find.

“I was impressed by Calvert Hall’s defense,” Hill head coach Brodie Merrill said after the game. “Big, physical, playing very tight and really making you earn it.”

Calvert Hall head coach Bryan Kelly said scouting the Hill on their trip was helpful.

“We got to see them play (Archbishop) Spaulding so that was an advantage for us,” Kelly said. “They’re definitely a team that does a phenomenal job with the pick and roll. So we prepared for that. Our game plan was to take away their strong hand as much as possible. Those kids are really talented, so I thought defensively we did a real solid job with that.”

And in an effort to make things happen, the Hill would find itself in the penalty box more than it would like to be against a team of Calvert Hill’s skill level.

“I think those kids were just playing hard,” Kelly said. “It was a hard-fought game. They really wanted it.”
Only Miller would score for the hill in the third quarter on a great face dodge through multiple checks and an overhand finish. But the Cardinals would net two of their own, tallies from Kelton Black (’12, Ohio State) and Ryan Brown, to make it 7-3 leading into halftime.

In the second half, Calvert Hall came out firing, scoring twenty seconds into the frame to make it 8-3, on an inside finish by Patrick Kelly. The Cardinals would rattle off the game’s next four goals, building their biggest lead of the game, 12-3, before the Hill managed to tack on three goals down the stretch, with both teams beginning to make some substitutions.

While they did their best to avoid it, the ambitious schedule the Hill put together appeared to be taking its toll on the Canadian squad, at least on the defensive end, according to Merrill.

“It’s definitely ambitious, but that’s the reality of our situation,” Merrill said. “We come down and want the opportunity to play these types of teams. That’s what we go through and we try not to use that as an excuse. I thought they were a little bit tired today. But I don’t think it was so much us as so much Calvert Hall kind of dictating and finishing every opportunity they had and playing the right way. … Very polished. Very well coached. They seem to have it all, including a great face-off game.”

Kelly said that he was glad to face Merrill’s team when the Cardinals did.

“I think we also got them at the tail end of their stretch. I can’t imagine. They play so many games in a row. I’m glad we got them on Friday instead of Monday.”

The Cardinals were led in scoring by Germershausen (3G, 1A), Ryan Brown (3G) and Stephen Kelly (2G, 1A, 7GBs). Patrick Kelly and Kelton Black each finished with a goal and an assist, while Johnny Kelly tallied a pair of assists. Up next for Calvert Hall: Conestoga (Pa.), March 23.

For the Hill, Zach Herreweyers scored twice. Up next: Landon, March 17 (check @ILPreps for score updates), then Bishop Timon-St. Jude, April 4.

Recruit Watch:

Calvert Hall: Stephen Kelly, M/FO, 2013 – “Bones” continues to show why he’s among the best recruits in the 2013 class, registered 2 goals and 1 assist in a confidence-building win for the Cardinals. He was fantastic on face-offs, giving the talented Zach Miller all he could handle, and coming up with 7 groundballs on his own. His goals came right off the draw in spectacular fashion. Jordan Germershausen, A, 2013 – shifty, heady and with solid stick skills, Germershausen is likely on the recruiting radar for some top programs. Though small in size, he’s got terrific abilities and plays with gusto.

The Hill: Kyle Jackson, M, 2012 – Jackson is Michigan-bound and could very well be one of the program’s early impact recruits after entering Division I. The smooth, athletic midfielder is compact and on the smaller side, but plays with big heart and shows no fear in attacking a defense from up top. He’s got tremendous dodging abilities, a powerful shot and a great stick. Jackson can run all day and plays both sides of the ball.